once provided.  Buried beneath the basement of the Pump Room itself has been discovered the masonry of a large oval bath, the outline of which is still marked out in the flooring.  The huge Roman reservoir into which were poured the healing waters as they bubbled up fresh and fervid from the bowels of the earth cannot now be seen, for it lies immediately beneath the floor of the King’s Bath, but the visitor can still inspect the overflow conduit which conveyed the surplus waters to the Avon.  The character of the lead and brick work should be carefully examined if justice is to be done to the skill of the Roman workmen.  The specimens of the tessellated pavement that once formed the flooring of the great hall are worthy of passing notice.  The King’s Bath, the great bathing place of the fashionable world in Nash’s day, is open to the air, and may be seen from one of the windows of the corridor.  The various modern baths must be inquired for on the spot.  Medicinal bathing is obtained at the New Royal Bath, in connection with the Grand Pump Room Hotel.  The spring which keeps the whole of this vast array of bathing appliances going yields three hogsheads per minute, and issues from the earth at a temperature of 117 deg.  Fahr.  The chief constituents of the waters are calcium sulphate, sodium sulphate, magnesium chloride, calcium carbonate, and sodium chloride, and there are traces of other minerals.

[Illustration:  BATH ABBEY]

The Abbey Church.  The Abbey, though somewhat hemmed in by meaner buildings, stands in a commanding position in the centre of the city.  Without any claims to be regarded as an architectural gem, it has sufficient merit to adorn its situation.  Its career has been a series of vicissitudes.  Though Bath takes precedence of Wells in the official title of the see, it has seldom been the predominant partner.  John de Villula, with the intention of making the city the bishop’s seat, built here a church so spacious that the nave alone would swallow up the existing building.  Of this Norm. church there still survive (1) bases of clustered pillars under a grating in N. aisle of choir, (2) a single pillar in same aisle, (3) round arch and pillar in vestry, S. of choir, (4) bases of pillars at exterior of E. end.  With his successors’ change of plans, Villula’s church fell on evil days, and was allowed to decay.  In 1495 Bishop Oliver King beheld, like Jacob, the vision of a heavenly stairway and climbing angels, and heard a voice saying, “Let an olive establish the crown, and let a king restore the church.”  In consequence he, in imitation of the patriarch, vowed a “God’s house” upon the spot.  With the help of Prior Bird, he projected the present edifice, and the west front still commemorates his dream.  But whilst the building was in course of construction the Reformation intervened and put a stop to the work.  The monastery was dissolved, and the Crown offered the church to the townspeople for 500 marks.  The citizens, however,